Celebrate the Holidays with a New Job

Column by Jeffrey Campos

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By Jeffrey Campos

Posted
12/14/11

Should I search for a job during or after the holidays? A
question I hear frequently during this time of the year from many
people. Look at the success that Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos
are having in the last minutes of the football game these days.
With success like that, it should be a good time to follow their
footsteps. We are in the closing days of the year so go for it.

I know it can be tempting to put your job hunting on hold during
holiday seasons. However, if you really want a new job, it is a
good time to look. Although it is certainly true to say that most
companies will wind down over the holiday season and very unlikely
to be looking for new employees, there is still a chance they will
be hiring. And even if your application isn't considered until the
New Year, yours should be first on the desk of the potential
interviewer. There is another advantage in that the majority of
other job seekers will have given up the search over the holiday,
so although there may not be many positions open, you will be in a
good chance of at least getting that interview.

Contrary to popular opinion, this is a great time of year to
find a job. Employers don't stop hiring just because it's the
holidays. At my company, this is an extremely busy time of the year
since many of our clients' needs that drive hiring throughout the
year don't change just because the paid holidays are bunched up on
the last pages of the calendar. Even we will be interviewing
candidates for positions at our company during the holiday season.
The period between Thanksgiving and New Year's is one of the best
times to find a job. Because budget approvals expire at the end of
the year, there is a sense of urgency among hiring managers and
recruiters. Yet while HR is usually in full recruiting mode, most
people put their job searches on hold during the holidays. The
result is it's more of a candidate's market.

Here are a few simple strategies you can use to accomplish your
goal. Identify your long-term goals and short-term requirements.
What are the must-haves about any job offer you will accept? Where
do you want this job to lead you? What type of company do you want
to work for? How would you like to put your skills to work?

Maintain a positive attitude and demeanor online and offline.
Confidence is attractive; being in a slump isn't. Get excited about
the opportunity you're going to land. That excitement will rub off
on the people around you so refine your communication skills online
and offline. It'll make the job search process fun and using
proper, professional etiquette makes you stand out amongst the
masses. So develop an online presence if appropriate for your level
of search, create a LinkedIn and association profile if you don't
have one already and make sure that all of your information is up
to date, appropriate and professional. Any time you learn the name
of a hiring manager, look to see if anyone in your LinkedIn network
knows that person, and if so, ask for an introduction.

Social networking sites experience a noticeable uptick in
activity during the holidays, so maintain your presence there as
well. Don't overdo it, but the occasional status update or tweet
mentioning your job search can never hurt.

Attend networking events and holiday parties, but try to figure
out which will be well attended by people who can connect with
decision makers or connectors. Connectors are the people who know
the decision makers, and who have an incentive for connecting you
with them. These may be centers of influence, recruiters or they
may be other employees in the same company. You won't know who they
are at first, but they'll identify themselves to you if you network
effectively. Find proper and appropriate ways to develop
relationships. A little schmoozing never hurts.

Remember that more employers use online job posts than printed
classifieds nowadays, so check the job boards often, as in more
than once a day. In addition, check company websites, as there may
be additional opportunities advertised there. Keep in mind that
some companies hire during the holidays with the idea of being able
to hit the ground running when the New Year rolls in.

You must believe. How would you like to wake up on the morning
of Jan. 2, 2012, with a solid job offer in hand, while the rest of
the job seekers are just getting started on their search? So start
immediately, you can get your foot squarely in the door while
everyone else is out shopping, drinking egg nog and watching Tim
Tebow win football games.